Category Archives: Uruguay

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2014 – The potential spread of Ebola into Central and Southern America is a real possibility, the commander of U.S. Southern Command told an audience at the National Defense University here yesterday.

“By the end of the year, there’s supposed to be 1.4 million people infected with Ebola and 62 percent of them dying, according to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly said. “That’s horrific. And there is no way we can keep Ebola [contained] in West Africa.”

If it comes to the Western Hemisphere, many countries have little ability to deal with an outbreak of the disease, the general said.

“So, much like West Africa, it will rage for a period of time,” Kelly said.

This is a particularly possible scenario if the disease gets to Haiti or Central America, he said. If the disease gets to countries like Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, it will cause a panic and people will flee the region, the general said.

“If it breaks out, it’s literally, ‘Katie bar the door,’ and there will be mass migration into the United States,” Kelly said. “They will run away from Ebola, or if they suspect they are infected, they will try to get to the United States for treatment.”

Also, transnational criminal networks smuggle people and those people can be carrying Ebola, the general said. Kelly spoke of visiting the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua with U.S. embassy personnel. At that time, a group of men “were waiting in line to pass into Nicaragua and then on their way north,” he recalled.

“The embassy person walked over and asked who they were and they told him they were from Liberia and they had been on the road about a week,” Kelly continued. “They met up with the network in Trinidad and now they were on their way to the United States — illegally, of course.”

Those men, he said, “could have made it to New York City and still be within the incubation period for Ebola.”

Kelly said his command is in close contact with U.S. Africa Command to see what works and what does not as it prepares for a possible outbreak in the area of operations.

The eight blocks cover more than 50% of the total offered area and they will be placed for exploration works by the four new players in the Uruguayan offshore: the British companies BP and BG, the French company Total and the Irish company Tullow Oil.

After the assessment of the proposals and the approval by the Uruguayan government ANCAP will sign the contracts with the winning companies on September 2012 as a deadline.

There will be a relevant increasing in quantity and quality of the geological knowledge of the offshore basins, as the work plans represent as a whole: one exploratory well at ultra-deep waters, 33.240 km2 of 3D seismic data, 13.080 km2 de 3D electromagnetic data, 130 samples of sea bed, and 3.000 km of 2D seismic data for the first three years of exploration work.

The ANCAP president Raul Sendic highlighted that “the outcomes of the Round imply relevant investments by the oil companies, and therefore there will be significant advances in knowledge and technology, as well as the development of a new services sector”.

The Industry, Mining and Energy Minister Roberto Kreimerman underlined that “Uruguay has a national energy policy that promotes the development of local resources, and ANCAP is a leader in that process. This successful Round also demonstrates that the Uruguay has technical and human expertise and that the world is recognizing the good image of our country”.

The integration of this new 4 top level oil companies to Petrobras, YPF and GALP means the definitive insertion of Uruguay in the world oil map. The winning companies will assume all the risks and costs generated by the oil operations during the phases of exploration and production. The contract is classified as shared production agreement, and under this format the companies are benefited with part of the available production according to the percentages established by the contract. The term of the contract shall be 30 years, and ANCAP may extend the term up to a maximum of 10 years.

The exploratory period comprises a basic sub-period of 3 years, where the companies will execute the compromised exploratory program. There are two voluntary sub periods that involves the production of one exploratory well each, and the last request to return to Uruguay at least the 30% of the area.

ANCAP will have the option for buying totally or partially oil production of the companies if it is needed for the national oil consumption of Uruguay. ANCAP may be associated for the exploitation of each productive block by a percentage offered by each winning company.

The marine platform is already explored by a consortium of Petrobras, YPF and Galp, that were the bidding winners in the first Uruguay Round in 2009. According to ANCAP authorities there is a big increase in the oil sector interest on the Uruguayan offshore, when compared with the first bid where only six oil companies asked for qualification.

ANCAP is expected to come up with the results of the bidding later during the day.

The Secretary of State for the UK's Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department issues his backing for the UK's onshore shale gas industry and set out a series of actions to support the sector.

Brazilian oil company Petrobras is looking to farm-out parts of its ownership in four blocks in located in the Deepwater Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, across an exploration area of 44,370 square kilometers . ...

ADES International, a provider of offshore and onshore oil and gas drilling and production services, has secured a new loan from a Saudi bank to finance the acquisition of three jack-ups from Nabors. ...

You are probably aware of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will come into effect on May 25th. In a nutshell, it means your personal data will be better protected, hence... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Australian LNG player Woodside is looking to up the pace on the development of the Scarborough gas field off the country's northwestern coast. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Harvey Gulf International Marine, the New Orleans-based LNG-fueled PSV owner and LNG bunkering pioneer, saw its final plan of reorganization approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

MAN Diesel & Turbo has been selected to provide a complete propulsion package and fuel-gas system for the world’s first fishing vessel with LNG propulsion. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have called for public comments on the Jordan Cove Energy project proposed for the North Spit of Coos Bay near... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Fluxys-operated Zeebrugge liquefied natural gas terminal is scheduled to host five LNG carriers over the next 15 days. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Oslo-based Awilco LNG, the owner of two 156,000-cbm LNG carriers, reported a profit of $1 million in the first quarter of this year as compared to a loss of $31.8 million in the comparable period... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Russian giant Gazprom and its Japanese partner Mitsui discussed the progress of its small- and mid-scale LNG cooperation. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

You are probably aware of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will come into effect on May 25, 2018. In a nutshell it means your personal data will be better protected, hence... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Nautilus Minerals has completed the first trial of its newly-developed autonomous sediment sampler. The insect-inspired creation is dubbed the “Nautilus Jumping Spider” and resembling its animal... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Impact Subsea has appointed Craig Thorburn as operations manager, who will be responsible for product production and customer support. Craig will be based at the Impact Subsea headquarters in... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Unmanned Survey Solutions’ new Accession Class unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have been given the green light following the funding from Marine-i Marine Challenge Fund, supported by the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Nord Stream 2, the developer of the twin pipeline to supply Russian natural gas to the EU market, released 90,000 young Atlantic salmon as compensation for potential temporary damage to fisheries... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Gulf of Mexico-focused vessel operator Harvey Gulf International Marine has been granted approval for its ﬁnal Plan of Reorganization by the United States Bankruptcy Court. The approval comes just 77... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has appointed Terry Makewell to the position of chief technology officer. According to UKHO, this appointment will support it in delivering its vision of becoming... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Aquaterra Energy has made two senior management promotions to spearhead its continued growth strategy. George Morrison becomes group CEO of parent company Aquaterra Energy Group, while James Larnder... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Minesto has completed the installation of the micro grid system (MGS) buoy that will be used for the company’s first tidal energy installation in Holyhead Deep, Wales. Moored to the seabed using... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Tymor Marine has appointed Matthew Heyman as business development manager of the company. Matthew has over twenty years maritime industry experience with companies including Wilhelmsen, Maersk and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been on an extended Twitter rant against critics of the company. His most recent target is the media, which he says has lost public trust and should be tracked for truthfulness. Musk is doing all this to distract from the alarming reality of Tesla's struggling business. Tesla CEO Elon Musk now appears to think that the media is h […]

The UK's defense secretary has again warned of increasing Russian submarine activity around Britain. NATO officials have sounded alarm about Russia's naval activities several times in recent years. Concerns about Russia's increasingly sophisticated subs comes amid broader tensions between Moscow and other countries in Europe. Russian submarine […]

Apple could reach a $1 trillion market cap in the next year, Morgan Stanley said Thursday. The bank upped its price target to $214 for the stock, citing Apple's hugely successful Services business. Follow Apple's stock price in real-time here. Morgan Stanley has once again raised its price target for Apple. The firm's new price target of $214 […]

Games are more than an enjoyable pastime — some types of play can actually make kids smarter. Unstructured games, art, and even bath time can help kids strategize and explore their creative potential. Here are six games, from an expert, that will make your kids smarter. Becoming smarter is more than just learning your ABCs and shapes. Kids can actually b […]

Vanity Fair reported that Prince Harry had an "emotional" phone call with his ex Chelsy Davy before his wedding to Meghan Markle. Relationship experts agree that finding closure is important and healthy. However, the timing may have been too close to the wedding. While most people watching Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding were to […]

Reebok recently moved into a brand-new headquarters in Boston, where it is plotting a return to glory. The brand is a subsidary of Adidas, but it hasn't yet seen the strong growth its parent company has. Reebok has a plan to aggressively go after women consumers, a demographic that its competitors have struggled to reach. BOSTON — Reebok's new Bos […]

President Donald Trump said the US is considering trade restrictions on imports cars, trucks, and other vehicles. According to reports, Trump is thinking of slapping a 25% tariff on imported vehicles. Trade experts say the move could lead to an economic disaster for the US and lead to retaliation from key allies. President Donald Trump's unexpected anno […]

Wednesday was the 16th anniversary of Netflix's initial public offering. A $1,000 investment made at the stock's first-day closing price would be worth nearly $300,000 today. Watch Netflix trade in real time here. Wednesday was the 16th anniversary of Netflix's initial public offering, and an investor buying in then would have made a very impr […]

A Portland, OR, couple claimed that their Alexa devices in their home recorded a private conversation between them and sent it to their friend in Seattle 176 miles away. Originally reported by KIRO-TV, the incident occurred about two weeks ago. The woman told KIRO-TV that the device had not audibly advised her that it was recording her conversation and sendi […]

All breakups can be difficult, but working with your ex can make the healing process even more challenging. Many Hollywood relationships develop on set, making the fallout from the breakup a bit awkward. Despite the end of the romance, some celebrity couples have found a way to work together, and have even channeled their feelings into their work. Bre […]

Authored by Kevin Muir via The Macro Tourist blog, It’s now cool to be bearish bonds. A couple of years ago you were labeled a pariah for even suggesting inflation might pick up. The few of us that argued locking in 10-year money at 1.4% wasn’t a good risk reward supposedly didn’t understand the overwhelming three Ds - debt, demographics and deflation. Yeah, […]

Two days ago, when looking at the ongoing turmoil gripping the Italian market, where the imminent formation of a populist, Euroskeptic government with a penchant for spending and threatening to impose a "parallel currency", the "Mini-BoT" has sent Italian yields soaring to the highest level in years, we noted something more troubling not […]

Authored by Amity blog via Safehaven.com, In early November, while Bitcoin enthusiasts and investors were waiting for a long-anticipated update to the software that supports the famous digital currency, a mass email from the group behind the project informed everyone that they were canceling the update. For months, Segwit2x, as the update was called, was at […]

Having been a dollar bull for several months, Bloomberg's Mark Cudmore now thinks it's about time for the long-term dollar downtrend to resume. All the key drivers of strength have run their course and it's more likely that the marginal developments from here will weigh on the dollar... Via Bloomberg, After rising more than 4% in the last five […]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) fired off a letter to the Department of Justice Wednesday demanding unredacted versions of text messages between FBI agent Peter Strzok and former bureau attorney Lisa Page, including one exchange which took place after Strzok had returned from London as part of the recently launched "Operation C […]

Update: Trump said that while he hopes that talks will lead to a favorable outcome, the US military is remains ready to act if necessary. The comments represent a return to the menacing Trump rhetoric of last year. Trump added that the talks could still take place as originally planned. *TRUMP SAYS CANCELLATION OF KIM SUMMIT BASED ON KIM'S STATEMENTS *T […]

Authored by Tho Bishop via The Mises Institute, Nicolás Maduro may have received more votes in Venezuela’s recent presidential election, but the record-low voter turnout is widely seen as its own form of protest against his increasingly oppressive socialist regime. So as long as Maduro’s government controls the voting process, his opponents will continue to […]

In the second round of sanctions announced this week, the Treasury Department on Thursday said it would impose sanctions on several Iranian and Turkish companies, as well as aircraft connected to those companies, in a move that targets four Iranian airlines. The sanctions were levied against nine individuals and entities for "procuring export-controlled […]

Having collapsed this morning following a profit warning (and mass layoffs) this morning, we suspect the following chart will start to send Deutsche Bank counterparties scrambling for protection... With a market cap of just over $21 billion now, Deutsche Bank - the once most systemically-dangerous bank in the world, and German darling - is now smaller than.. […]

One month ago we reported how, three years after a historic "fat finger" wire transfer in which Deutsche Bank mistakenly sent $6 billion to a (briefly) lucky hedge fund, a routine payment at the biggest German bank "went awry" (or as Bloomberg said at the time, "was flubbed") when the bank "mistakenly" sent 28 billion […]